Comfort
by ladyd10
Summary: Calliegh yet again had to collect her father after another inebriated time. She's upset and in need of understanding, not comdenation.


_**Comfort**_

_**a/n: With the first couple of seasons being replayed on amc, it made me think about the relationship between two characters; one I've only written for once.**_

Timothy Speedle was not known to be a cheerful person. He'd been described as gruff, curt, even rude. He preferred to consider himself a pragmatist. However, at the moment, he felt downright chipper. He was getting out of work a little early and he had dinner plans that he knew would turn into breakfast plans. Pam was his steady girlfriend for quite a few months as of then and he was hoping it would continue. Nearly whistling, he opened the locker room door and stopped, listening. It was soft but there. Sniffling. Either someone had a cold or someone was trying very hard not to cry. Not wanting to intrude, but very concerned,for he thought he knew the source or such a heart-wrenching sound, he padded softly toward it and found the very person he expected to see. He briefly warred with himself on whether to give her her privacy or try to help. He decided on the latter.

Speed sat on the bench and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, making her head jerk up. "Cal, what's wrong? Are you sick or something?"

Calleigh wiped her eyes and shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be crying in the locker room. Did a suspect get out of line? Was it a cop? Did somebody hurt you?" He asked, concern for her well being very evident in his voice.

She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. It just...I mean I got that call and-"

"You had to go and pick him up again. Why do you do it?"

Her lower lip trembled. "Because he's my dad, that's why." A fat tear rolled down her cheek.

Speed did the one and only thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around her. "Cal, I'm sorry that this always has to happen to you."

"Yeah," she managed to squeak before burying her face in his chest. She shook with sobs that almost made no sound.

Speed's arms tightened around her. His heart hurt to see his annoyingly cheerful and always up-beat teammate/heart adopted little sister be brought so low as she was just then. She drove him batshit sometimes with her over achievement, but he genuinely respected her, often admired her, felt fiercely protective over her (even though she could out-shoot him and could physically drop him in two moves), and always loved her like family. "It's gonna be okay, Cal. You can always come to me. You know that, right?"

She nodded against his shirt, making new wet patches.

"Okay. Let it out now and then we'll go grab something to eat and then you are coming out with me and Delko for some clubbing. "No" is not an acceptable answer. We're going to Hive tonight. You're coming, period."

Calleigh recognized Speedle's declaration for what it was: an opportunity to dance and have fun and get her mind off of having to pick up her dad at the Whiskey Stop again. "Okay. Can I go home and make myself presentable?"

Speed let a ghost of a smile cross his face. "Sure. I'll pick you up at 8. Be ready. No more mopeys."

Calleigh let a small smile cross her face, just the edge of it touching her eyes. "I will. Thanks, Tim."

He gave her a last squeeze and let her go with a harrumph. "8."

"I'll be ready," she said, wondering, not for the first time whether he'd ever let his Joe Paycheck persona ever really drop. Well, she reasoned, they had a lifetime together as friends/family to figure each other out.

Feeling rather better than she had since getting the call from the Whiskey Stop, Calleigh took her belongings from her locker and headed home to change into that blazingly hot green off the shoulder top she just bought and the slimline black jeans that she wore only a couple pf times. Her new increased paycheck allowed her to make the indulgent purchase of a pair of black with stacked wooden heels Christian Laboutin shoes that she had wanted for a long time, those tell-tale red soles just...

Making extra care with her make-up and in the new outfit and the new shoes that were as comfortable as old slippers, she stepped out on her front stoop to wait for Speedle and an evening of fun to wash the stress of everything she could not change away.


End file.
